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Gertrude Merton was Thomas Merton's grandmother. Born Gertrude Hannah Grierson in 1855, she immigrated at age nine with her parents to New Zealand. She married Alfred Merton in 1882. They had six children, including Owen Heathcote Merton (Thomas' father), John Llewellyn Charles Merton (Uncle Lyn), and Beatrice Katharine (Aunt Ka), Agnes Gertrude Stonehewer (Aunt Kit), and Gwynnedd Fanny Merton Trier (Aunt Gwynn). (Source: The Thomas Merton Encyclopedia, pp. 293-294).

Beatrice Katherine Merton was Owen Merton's sister and Tom's Aunt "Ka". She was a nurse in Christchurch, New Zealand. She visited Tom Merton once in 1922 in Douglaston, New York. (Source: The Thomas Merton Encyclopedia, p. 293).

Agnes Gertrude Stonehewer Merton, Thomas Merton's Aunt "Kit", was Owen Merton's sister, and she lived in New Zealand. Thomas Merton met her twice: once coming with her mother Gertrude Hannah Merton to Flushing, New York, in 1919; and once visiting him at Gethsemani in 1961. She suffered a tragic death aboard the ferry «Wahine», which sank between New Zealand's largest islands. (Source: The Thomas Merton Encyclopedia, p. 293).

Frederick Merida writes from the Corner Shop and Gallery in Anchorage, Kentucky. He asks if Merton would like to exhibit some of his artwork at his gallery.

In 1952, Don Sergio Méndez Arceo became Bishop of Cuernavaca, México. He was know for his progressive views that sometimes got him into trouble with Rome. He fostered liturgical reform and the beginnings of what would emerge as liberation theology. He was supportive of the work of Ivan Illich at the Center for Intercultural Documentation (CIDOC).

Robert Menchin was working on a project involving career change and asks Merton's input on the subject. While the decision to go to a monastery is somewhat different, Merton describes his vocation to the monastic life and the thoughts he went through as an aspiring writer who may have had to give up that life.

Gianni Menarini was Editor of «Il Tarocco», an Italian magazine of literature and art. He asks Merton for a poem and a statement on the relationship between religion and poetry.

Carmen de Mello translated some of Merton's poems into Portuguese from "Poesias" by Ernesto Cardenal. The work was entitled «Vinho do silencio (Poesias)», and is an equivalent of «Selected Poems» in Portuguese. Carmen de Mello writes from Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

Ernesto Mejía Sánchez was born in Nicaragua and lived his later life as a poet, essayist, literary critic, anthologist, and diplomat in Mexico. He can be placed with the "Generación del 40" and noted alongside other Nicaraguan poets, like Merton's friend Ernesto Cardenal and José Coronel Urtecho.

Fr. Michael D. Meilach was a Franciscan priest and Assistant Editor of «The Cord», "a spiritual Franciscan review". He writes from St. Bonaventure, New York.

Fr. James J. Megivern was Vincentian priest from St. John's University in New York.

Fr. Charles Meeus writes from the Archdiocese of Taegu [Daegu] in South Korea. He discusses Korean translations of Merton's "The General Dance" and a haiku by Merton, "Japanese Frog".

Dr. Joost A.M. Meerloo was a Dutch-born psychoanalyst specializing in the area of thought control techniques used by totalitarian regimes. Most of his family were killed by the Nazis, but he escaped to England in 1942 from a Nazi prison in the Netherlands. In 1946, he emigrated to the United States and took residence in New York where he continued to writes books and continue his practice as a psychoanalyst. He coined the term "mentacide", the killing of the mind as employed in brain-washing techniques. After writing to each other for since 1962, Meerloo visits Gethsemani in November of 1967 (see Merton's journal entry from November 7, 1967). His books include «Homo Militans», «The Psychology of War and Peace in Man», «Delusion and Mass Delusion», and «The Rape of the Mind». (Source: "Meerloo, Joost A. M." Current Biography. 1962. Wilson Biographies Plus. Online. H.W. Wilson. Bellarmine University Library, Louisville, KY. 13 Dec. 2005. ‹http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com›.)

Sr. Xristine Anne Marie van der Meer de Walcheren was a Benedictine religious sister writing from Notre Dame Abbey in Oosterhout, the Netherlands.

Dom Petrus Balthazar Albertus van der Meer de Walcheren was a Benedictine monk of Beuron Abbey in Germany. He was a friend of Jacques and Raïssa Maritain. Jacques Maritain wrote an introduction for his book «Le Paradis Blanc» about the Carthusians of La Valsainte.

Fr. Daniel Meenan was a Jesuit priest and Editor of the «Sacred Heart Messenger», national magazine of the Apostleship of Prayer.

Ralph Eugene Meatyard was a optician by trade in Lexington, Kentucky, but was an avid photographer who would become influential in the art photography world for his haunting and surreal images. He first met Merton in January of 1967 on a trip from Lexington with poet Jonathan Williams and Guy Davenport (see Merton's journal entry from January 18, 1967). Meatyard took some photographs of Merton playing bongos, standing with a staff in a corn field, in his hermitage, in his habit but with a baseball cap, etc. In some of the last years of his life before dieing of cancer, he collaborating with another friend of Merton's, Kentucky author Wendell Berry. Meatyard's photographs are part of the collections at the Smithsonian, the Museum of Modern Art, and the George Eastman House in Rochester, New York.

John O. Meany was a visiting professor in the Education Department at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.

Robert F. W. Meader was Director of the Shaker Museum Foundation in Old Chatham, New York.

Carey McWilliams was Editor of «The Nation» magazine from New York, as well as a liberal social critic and author of a number of books.

According to James A. Ward, the author of a biography of Merton's friend W. H. Ferry, Robert McVeigh was as a young activist at the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions in Santa Barbara, California, where Ferry was Vice-President during the 1960's. Ward states that he became "a chiropractor and teacher of earth sciences" who "shared with Ping [W. H. Ferry] a common affection and respect for Thomas Merton and his ideas." (Ward, James A. «Ferrytale: The Career of W. H. "Ping" Ferry». CA, Stanford University Press, 2001: pp. 189-190.)

John F. McTarsney was Chairman of the Promotion Committee of Bearings for Re-Establishment (BSR), a group that helped former priests, ministers, seminarians and religious re-integrate into the workforce. Merton agreed to serve on Bearing's Board of Advisors in 1967.

Mary S. McNiff was Assistant to the Librarian of St. John's Seminary in Brighton, Massachusetts.

Fr. John McNearney was a doctoral student at Catholic University in Washington, D.C., and was writing a dissertation called "The Relation between Prayer and Involvement in the World". He asked if Merton would send him a bibliography of his works so he could include some of it as source material.

Fr. William McNamara was a Carmelite priest writing on behalf of the Spiritual Life Institute of America (SLIA) in Sedona, Arizona. He has written on the contemplative life and founded Carmelite hermitages in the United States and Canada. (Source: «The School of Charity», p. 281.)

Geraldine McNamara was a high-school student who writes to ask Merton about Trappist life.

Fr. Arthur McNally was a Passionist priest and Associate Editor of «The Sign», a national Catholic magazine.

Chris McNair was the father of Carole Denise McNair, one of the children killed in the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963. He took a picture of his daughter that was included in «Look», which Merton saved and wrote a poem about called "Picture of a Black Child with a White Doll." He captioned the photo, "Carole Denise McNair, one of the four bomb-murdered Negro children, never learned to hate." (Source: «The Road to Joy», p. 332.)

Br. Basil McMurray was a Trappist monk of Gethsemani and former novice of Thomas Merton's. He later received permission to live as a hermit at Mount Saviour Monastery in New York.

Fr. Cornelius McMenamin was a Trappist monk of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, Georgia.

Mother Mary Francis Clare McLaughlin was the Prioress of the Poor Clares of New Orleans, Louisiana. She gave Merton the "Shalom" sign for the door of his hermitage.

John F. McKinney was Recording Director of the Catholic Poetry Society of America in New York. They were the publishers of «Spirit». A recording was made of some of Merton's poetry. The poems were read by Richard Gray.

Dom Hugh McKiernan was a Trappist abbot of Our Lady of the Holy Cross Abbey, in Berryville, Virginia. He was appointed superior of Holy Cross in 1956 and was elected the first abbot of the monastery when it became an independent abbey, serving as abbot from 1958 to 1964. He later transferred his stability to Mount Saviour, a Benedictine monastery near Elmira, New York. Merton met McKiernan in October of 1968 at La Casa de Maria retreat center in Santa Barbara.

Henry A. McKervey writes to the editor of «Harper's» from Spokane, Washington, in response to "Apologies to an Unbeliever", published in the November 1966 issue of «Harper's Magazine» (and later appeared with a related article in the book Faith and Violence).

Peggy McKenna was a homemaker writing from Orange, Texas.

Mrs. Yin-dzung Djuh McIntyre writes from West Collingswood, New Jersey. Following up on Merton's interpretation of «The Way of Chuang Tzu», she asks Merton to address parallels between the Chinese mind and Christian thought.

Fr. William McInnes was a Jesuit priest and, at the time of writing, president of Fairfield University, Connecticut.

Dennis Q. McInerny was a doctoral student in the American Studies program at University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. He was writing his dissertation on Merton, which was published in 1969 as "Thomas Merton and Society: A Study of the Man and His Thought against the Background of Contemporary American Culture". In 1974, his book «Thomas Merton: The Man and His Work» was published.

Dom Gerard McGinley was Abbot of Our Lady of the Genesee in Piffard, New York at the time of this correspondence with Merton.

Vincent F. McGee writes from New York.

Dom Robert McGann was abbot of the Trappist monastery of Our Lady of the Holy Ghost (Holy Ghost Abbey) in Conyers, Georgia. He became abbot after Dom James Fox left in 1948 to become abbot of Gethsemani Abbey. He asks Merton some questions about the scholasticate.

Christopher McFadden writes from Wilton, Connecticut.

Frank E. McElroy was Executive Director of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, Northeastern Region, in Boston, Massachusetts.

Cindy McElhose was an 11-year-old from Grand Blanc, Michigan. Her class project was to write a letter to a famous person and ask how to be a better teenager and American.

Born in Philadelphia in 1911, Thomas McDonough served as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Louisville, Kentucky, from 1967 to 1981, taking over from Archbishop John Floersh. Prior to this, McDonough had been bishop in the Diocese of Savannah, Georgia.

Thomas P. McDonnell was a staff writer for «The Pilot», a publication of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, Massachusetts. He often wrote book reviews about Merton's books, edited «A Thomas Merton Reader», and interviewed Merton for «Motive», a magazine affiliated with the Methodist Student Movement. McDonnell often sent Merton other reviews and articles he had written for «The Pilot» and other publications.

Fr. Kilian McDonnell is a Benedictine monk of St. John's Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota. He is founder and president of the Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research. He had the rare distinction for a Catholic monk in the early 1960's to do advanced studies in a Protestant faculty in Germany. He also studied under Catholic theologian Hans Küng. He was editor of «Sponsa Regis», (later known as «Sisters Today») to which Merton contributed. (Source: "Father Kilian McDonnell, OSB". Website of the Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research. Accessed 9 November 2005. ‹http://www.iecr.org/kilianosb.htm›.)

Bishop William Joseph McDonald (at the time of writing to Merton, Msgr. William J. McDonald) was Editor-in-Chief of the «New Catholic Encyclopedia» and asks Merton to contribute. Merton sends an article on spiritual direction. McDonald writes from Washington, D.C.

Donald McDonald writes of behalf of the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions in Santa Barbara, California.

Fr. Barry McDermott was with the Newman Foundation at the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois.

Vincent A. McCrossen was a professor at Boston College. He writes from Lexington, Massachusetts.

Dom Edward McCorkell was abbot of the Trappist monks at Holy Cross Abbey in Berryville, Virginia.

John L. McClenahan was a physician writing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Fr. Thomas McCarthy (known as Fr. Malachy with the Trappists) was a monk at the time of writing at New Melleray Abbey in Dubuque, Iowa.

Eoin McCarthy writes from London, England.

Edward McCarthy was a teacher at a Catholic grammar school in Coventry, England.

Colman McCarthy was a former monk of Holy Spirit Abbey in Conyers, Georgia. He left and became a columnist, writing for «The Washington Post» and others. He writes to Merton from the federal government's Office of Economic Opportunity in Washington, D.C. A pacifist and animal rights activist, he has now devoted his life to peace education and writing books on this subject.

John H. McCallum worked for Harcourt Brace publishers in New York.

Fr. Alfred McBride writes to member of the National Association for Pastoral Renewal (NAPR) advisory board, which included Merton.

Fr. Thiband M. Maze was a Benedictine monk from the Abbaye Notre-Dame Du Bec in France.

Leonard F. X. Mayhew was Publicity Editor for Sheed and Ward in New York.

Pawel Mayewski was Editor of the quarterly on culture, «Tematy». He writes from New York.

Lisa M. Mayer was secretary to Helen Wolff of Harcourt, Brace and World in New York.

Rollo May was the author of a number of books on existential psychology. Before earning he doctoral degree from Columbia University in 1949, he tried different disciplines, including studying at Union Theological Seminary with Paul Tillich. He was influenced both by existentialist writers and philosophers like Sören Kierkegaard and psychologists like Erich Fromm. May writes from New York. (Source: "May, Rollo." World Authors 1985-1990 (1995). Online. H.W. Wilson. Bellarmine University Library, Louisville, KY. 12 Dec. 2005. ‹http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com›.)

Lilian May from Brazil sends Merton some books by Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa.

Sr. Rita Maury, who seems to have formerly used the name in religion of Sr. Frances Therese, was a Sister of St. Joseph writing from Milford, Massachusetts.

Sr. Mary Maurice and Sr. Lillian were Felician Sisters of the St. Teresa of Avila Convent in Akron, New York.

Fr. Francis J. Matthews writes on behalf of the National Association for Pastoral Renewal. He was also the Director of the Catholic Radio and Television Apostolate for the Archdiocese of St. Louis, Missouri, and was the Executive Secretary of the National Carta Foundation (NCF).

Fr. Francesco Mattesini, from the journal «Vita e Pensiero» in Milan, Italy, writes to Robert MacGregor of New Directions publishing in New York. MacGregor makes a note on the letter and forwards it to Merton.

Olga Elena Mattei is a poet living in Medellin, Colombia. She was born in Puerto Rico and often wrote concerning social justice. Merton was a fan of her work.

James F. Mathias writes as Secretary for the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation in New York. He writes on behalf of a request by Clayton Eshleman for a Guggenheim grant award.

Richard Matthews was Editor of the first edition of the «Florida Quarterly», from University of Florida in Gainesville. Martin Lee Curry took over as General Editor for the next issue.

Jacques Masui writes from Switzerland on behalf of the magazine «Hermes».

Archimandrite Elie Mastroyanopoulos writes from Athens, Greece.

Louis Massignon was a French scholar who wrote some of the most influential works on Islamic studies of the 20th century. Massignon had an especially keen interest in the Sufi mystic of ninth century Baghdad, Hallaj (Husayn ibn Mansur al-Hallaj). Based on his idea of "substitution mystique", accepting the sufferings of others, and the similar idea of «badal» by Hallaj, he received approval from Rome to form the sodality of the Badaliya in 1947. (The movement had its roots from a vow taken in 1934 with his friend, Mary Kahil.) He was later granted permission by Pope Pius XII in 1950 to become a married priest of the Melkite rite. Merton was introduced to him by Herbert Mason. Massignon later introduced a Pakistani friend and Sufi scholar, Abdul Aziz, to Merton's work, and Aziz and Merton thenceforth correspondence. Massignon wrote to Merton of his concerns about the racial tensions in France concerning the immigration of north African Muslims and about the after-effects of the 1967 Arab-Israeli War and the consequences for peace between Israeli's and Palestinians. Massignon's combination of a love of mysticism with an outspoken nature about the world's problems might have influenced Merton. (Source: «Witness to Freedom», pp. 275-276.)

Herbert Mason is a professor of Arabic and Islamic studies in the history and religion departments of Boston University in Massachusetts. He first became interested in his field through contact with Louis Massignon. Mason later introduced Merton to Massignon. Mason has written and translated many middle eastern texts from a narrative on the Gilgamesh epic to a translation of Massignon's most famous work, «The Passion of al-Hallaj». (Sources: «Witness to Freedom», p. 259; and "Herbert Mason" Boston University (website). Accessed 5 Dec. 2005. ‹http://www.bu.edu/uni/faculty/profiles/mason.html›.)

Christiana Maslin writes from Saint-Chaffrey, Hautes-Alpes, France.

Sr. Mary St. Thomas was the Anglican contemplative community of the Society of the Precious Blood at Burnham Abbey in Maidenhead, Berkshire, England.

Sr. Mary Ruth of the Holy Infant writes from the Maryknoll Cloister in Maryknoll, New York.